Brawler Archetype (PF2e)

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Brawler
SECOND EDITION

Brawler


Brawler use their fists to fight. But, unlike their counterparts, their strikes lacks the finesse and refinement of those trained in the martial arts. What they lack in teachings though; they make up through hard-earned experience, ruthless efficiency, and brutal techniques.

Martials classes will find that Brawler synergizes with them in different ways...

Barbarian Unarmed Animal and Dragon instinct Barbarians will add versatility to their attack with techniques, while adding useful activity to their toolbox

Fighter One-weapon Fighter will be able to better leverage their press actions to capitalize on their increased hit range

Monk Much like the Barbarian, techniques can add versatility to their stances' attacks while other feats add useful activities to their toolbox

Rogue Ruffian Racket will find many activity can leave their target flat-footed, allowing them to apply their sneak damage, while Resiliency helps mitigate the increased risk they take

Consideration

I wanted to make an archetype that could fit on as many martial class chassis. As such, I needed to come up with a concept that did not infringe on or "steal" any class core feature. My biggest inspiration for Brawler was the Inventor and its weapon innovation

Raise Guard {1A}

General
You are wielding a weapon with the Parry trait, are in a stance with the Parry trait or your unarmed attacks have the Parry trait
Anyone who meets the requirements can use the Raise Guard activity, it's just that it wasn't defined in the CRB
You position your arms to protect yourself. When you have Raised your Guard, you gain its listed circumstance bonus to AC. Your guard remains raised until the start of your next turn.

Brawler Dedication
FEAT 2

Archetype
Dedication
Dexterity 14; Strength 14
With enough pain and bruises, most of your foes end up giving you what you are looking for. The damage die for your fist unarmed attacks becomes 1d6 instead of 1d4. You don't take the –2 circumstance penalty for making a lethal attack with your nonlethal unarmed attacks. Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency rank in all unarmed attacks. You gain the Shift Center of Gravity activity
Shift Center of Gravity {1A}

You bend your knees and lean your body to get an edge in your attacks or movements. Frequency Once per turn; Effect Each time you use this activity, pick one of the following effect. The effect last until the beginning of your next turn.

Light on your Feet You gain a 10 foot status bonus to your speed

Well Anchored Your unarmed attacks lose the agile and finesse traits. Instead your unarmed attacks deal 1d8 bludgeoning damage; are in the brawling group; and have the backswing trait.

Techniques

While well-versed in unarmed combat, there are some things you do particularly well that define how you fight.

Basic Techniques
  • Finger thrust You strike using your finger as the tip of a spear. Your Unarmed attacks gain the Backstabber and versatile P traits.
  • Chop You use wide slashing movement using the side of your hands. Your unarmed attacks gain the Sweep and versatile S traits.
  • Backhanded You strike with the back of your hands. Your unarmed attacks gain the Forceful and versatile B traits.
  • Guard You know to keep your guard up. Your unarmed attacks gain the Parry and Brace trait.
  • Palm strike You strike open-handed, using your palm to cause your hits to reverberate inside foes. Your unarmed attacks gain the Shove and Concussive trait.
Signature Techniques
  • Heavy-Weight You hit harder than most. Increase your unarmed attack's damage die by one step (d4 to d6, d6 to d8, d8 to d10, d10 to d12). This effect is cumulative with the dice increase from Well Anchored.
  • Ruthless You learned to use your momentum to deal more damage when you catch someone off-guard. Your unarmed attacks in gain the Fatal d10 (or Fatal d12 while Well Anchored) trait.
  • Deadly You know to aim for softer tissue and joints. Your unarmed attacks gain the Deadly d8 trait.
  • Two-Handed You deliver heavy strikes using 2 hands simultaneously. Your unarmed attacks gains the Two-Hand d10 trait (or Two-Hand d12 while Well Anchored). You need to use an action to clasp your hands together, but can release them as a free action. While clasped, you cannot use an ability that require you to have a free hand.

Basic Technique
FEAT 4

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication
Choose one Basic Techniques. While you are under the effect of Light on your feet or Well Anchored, your unarmed strikes gain the associated traits.

Bracing Guard {R}
FEAT 4

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication
While you benefit from a circumstance bonus to AC from a weapon or unarmed weapon with the parry trait, you would take damage from a physical attack
You learned to brace for impact moments before getting hits in order to dampen the blows. You block some of the damage, potentially reducing it to 0.

Your Guard has Hardness 5. After using Bracing Guard, your arms are numb and you can't you position your weapon or arms defensively to gain a circumstance bonus to AC from the parry traits for 10 minutes. At 5th level and every 4 level thereafter, your Guard's hardness increase by 5.

If you have the Shield Block or Reactive Guard feat, once per day, you can ignore the numbness and benefit from your Parry trait while it is on cooldown. If you have both, you can do so once per hour.

Brawler Resiliency
FEAT 4

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication; class granting no more Hit Points per level than 8 + your Constitution modifier
You gain 3 additional Hit Points for each Brawler archetype class feat you have. As you continue selecting Brawler archetype class feats, you continue to gain additional Hit Points in this way.

Combat Grab {1A}
FEAT 4

Archetype
Brawler
Fighter
Press
Wrestler
Brawler Dedication
You have one hand free, and your target is within reach of that hand
You swipe at your opponent and grab at them. Make a melee Strike while keeping one hand free. If the Strike hits, you grab the target using your free hand. The creature remains grabbed until the end of your next turn or until it Escapes, whichever comes first.

Leg Sweep {1A}
FEAT 4

Archetype
Brawler
Press
Brawler Dedication
You have a creature grabbed or restrained
Make an unarmed melee Strike against the creature you have grabbed or restrained; The strike gain the following effects :
You immediately release your hold on the target.
Your manage to maintain your hold on the target.
The target lands prone and you immediately release your hold on the target.
The target lands prone and you maintain your hold on the target.

Counter
FEAT 6

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication
You gain the Not So Fast! and the Eyes Upfront! reactions.
Not So Fast! {R}
You are under the effect of Light on your Feet
A creature within your reach uses a move action or leaves a square during a move action it’s using
You strike out when your foe tries to flee. Make a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If the attack is a critical hit and the trigger was a move action, you disrupt that action. This Strike doesn’t count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn’t apply to this Strike.
Eyes Upfront! {R}
You are under the effect of Well Anchored
A creature within your reach uses a manipulate action
Make a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If you hit and the trigger was a manipulate action, the creature must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or you disrupt that action. If your attack is a critical hit, you automaticaaly disrupt that action. This Strike doesn’t count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn’t apply to this Strike.

Deflecting Parry
FEAT 6

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication
You've learned to more effectively redirect incoming attacks. When you position your weapon or arms defensively to gain a circumstance bonus to AC from weapon or stance with the parry trait, increase the bonus from +1 to +2.

Reactive Guard {R}
FEAT 6

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication; Bracing Guard
You could benefit from Raise Guard
You can put your Guard up just as you would take a blow, avoiding the hit at the last second. You immediately use the Raise Guard action and gain your guard's bonus to AC. The circumstance bonus from the parry trait applies to your AC when you're determining the outcome of the triggering attack.

Dual-Techniques
FEAT 8

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication; Basic Technique
Through experience or teaching, you leaned to adapt your fighting style to many different situations. Choose another Basic Techniques. While you are under the effect of Light on your feet or Well Anchored, your unarmed strikes gain the associated benefits.

Heavy Hitter
FEAT 8

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication; You're using unarmed attacks and have access to the critical effect specialization
You hit hard, and when your punches connect to an unguarded foe, you knock them down. Instead of applying the critical effect specialization of the brawling group, you can choose to apply the one from the Hammer group instead. You must choose to do this before the target rolls its save.

Whirlwing Throw
FEAT 8

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication
You have a creature grabbed or restrained
You propel your grabbed or restrained foe a great distance. You can throw the creature any distance up to 10 feet, plus 5 feet × your Strength modifier. If you successfully throw the creature,

it takes bludgeoning damage equal to your Strength modifier plus 1d6 per 10 feet you threw it.

Attempt an Athletics check against the foe’s Fortitude DC. You take a –2 circumstance penalty to your check if the target is one size larger than you and a –4 circumstance penalty if it’s larger than that. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your check if the target is one size smaller than you and a +4 circumstance bonus if it’s smaller than that.

You throw the creature the desired distance and it lands prone.
You throw the creature the desired distance.
You don’t throw the creature.
You don’t throw the creature, and it’s no longer grabbed or restrained by you.

Standing Guard
FEAT 10

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication
You've become so adept at shifting your weight that you can now make bigger movements while denying your enemies the opportunity to retaliate. When you drop prone or stand up, you do not trigger reactions.

Wide Swing {0A}
FEAT 10

Archetype
Brawler
Flourish
Open
Brawler Dedication
You learned to use wide swings to deal more damage and succeed at feats of strength you otherwise couldn't pull. You give yourself a -1 Multiple Attack Penalty on your first attack, allowing you to use activities with the press trait as your first attack action. You gain a circumstance bonus to damage on this Strike equal to the number of weapon damage dice. Subsequent attacks use the normal Multiple Attack Penalty value and do not benifit from the circumstance bonus to damage.

Adaptability
FEAT 12

Archetype
Brawler
Duelist
Brawler Dedication
You have studied a great many combat techniques, which you can review each day. During your daily preparations, you can swap out any number of your Brawler archetype feats for other Brawler archetype feats of the appropriate level for which you are qualified. You can't swap out Brawler Dedication or Adaptability in this way.

In addition, you can use a technique from a Brawler Basic Techniques you don't have by increasing the number of actions it takes to Shift Center of Gravity by 1 (typically to 2 actions).


Low Blow {1A}
FEAT 12

Archetype
Brawler
Incapacitation
Brawler Dedication
the creature is flat-footed
Once per turn
When your foes can't properly defend themselves, you know where to hits them where it hurts. Your strike gains the following effect :
Your target takes 1d6 additionnal precision damage and becomes Enfeeble 1 until the end of their next turn.
Your target takes 1d6 additionnal precision damage.

Quick Shifting {0A}
FEAT 12

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication
Your turn begins
You're now adept at moving your center of balance to follow the flow of combat. Use the activity Shift Center of Gravity.

Averting Stance {1A}
FEAT 14

Archetype
Brawler
Stance
Brawler Dedication; Deflecting Parry
You are unarmed
You easily attack while fending off incoming attacks. While you are in this stance, you constantly have the benefits of Deflecting Parry.

Chokehold {1A}
FEAT 14

Archetype
Brawler
Press
Brawler Dedication
You have your target grappled or restrained, and your target is prone.
You drop prone and attempt to choke your target. Attempt an Athletics check against the target's Fortitude DC.
Your target is restrained and slowed 1 until the end of your next turn unless you move or your target Escapes.
Your target is restrained until the end of your next turn unless you move or your target Escapes.
Your manage to maintain your hold on the target.
You immediately release your hold on the target.















































Group Takedown {3A}
FEAT 14

Archetype
Brawler
Flourish
Open
Brawler Dedication
You stride once, making Strikes against up to three different creatures within reach at any point during your movement. Each attack counts toward your multiple attack penalty, but do not increase your penalty until you have made all your attacks. This movement does not trigger reaction.




















Signature Technique
FEAT 14

Archetype
Brawler
Stance
Brawler Dedication; Basic Technique
Choose one Signature Techniques. While you are under the effect of Light on your feet or Well Anchored, your unarmed strikes gain the associated benefits.

Improved Combat Grab
FEAT 16

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication; Combat Grab
You are able to make an unarmed attack while grabbing or restraining a creature
You can use Combat Grab against a creature you're already grabbing. If your strike hits, you instead maintain your grab until the end of your next turn.

Additionnally, you can choose to roll an Athletic check against the creature fortitude DC, as if you were attemptinga normal Grapple check instead of automatically grabbing the creature. Your Athletic check is done at the same Multiple Attack Penalty as your hit, but does not count toward your Multiple Attack Penalty. If you roll, apply critical success, success and failure as normal, as well as any effect triggered on a Grapple (such as Crushing Grab)

Improved Counter
FEAT 16

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication; Counter
Your ability at interrupting your foes is unmatched. You gain the two following reactions :
Stay where you are {R}
Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication
You are under the effect of Light on your Feet; can't have a weapon or be in a stance with the Reach trait
A creature 5 feet outside of your reach uses a move action or leaves a square during a move action it’s using
You step 5 feet towards a creature. It must end within your melee reach. You then make a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If the attack is a critical hit and the trigger was a move action, you disrupt that action. This Strike doesn’t count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn’t apply to this Strike.
Shut Up{R}
Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication
You are under the effect of Well Anchored
A creature within your reach uses an action with a verbal component
Make a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If you hit, the creature must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or you disrupt that action. If your attack is a critical hit, you automatically disrupt that action. This Strike doesn’t count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn’t apply to this Strike.

Stay Down {R}
FEAT 16

Archetype
Brawler
Rogue
Brawler Dedication; master in Athletics.
A prone foe within your reach Stands
You have ways of keeping your foes down. Attempt an Athletics check against the triggering foe's Fortitude DC. On a success, they don't stand up and remain prone. On a critical success, they can't Stand until their next turn.

Dizzying Strike
FEAT 18

Archetype
Brawler
Incapacitation
Press
Brawler Dedication
You know which precise sense a creature has, and you are able to target the corresponding organ
Make a melee Strike against a foe. The foe must succeed at a Fortitude save against your class DC. Regardless of the result, the creature is then temporarily immune to Dizzying Strike for 1 minute.
The target is unaffected.
The creature has difficulty using its precise sense. For a minute all creatures and objects are concealed to them.
The creature can't use its precise sense. For a minute all normal terrain is difficult terrain to them and all creatures and objects are hidden to them.

Counter Combo
FEAT 20

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication; Counter
You are particularly swift at punishing foes who leave you openings. At the start of each of your turns when you regain your actions, you gain an additional reaction that can be used only to make a Counter.

Instinctive Position
FEAT 20

Archetype
Brawler
Brawler Dedication; Quick Shifting
You are about to use an action or a reaction
Once per turn
Ducking and side-stepping are second nature to you, and your body instinctively moves to give you an edge in hand-to-hand combat. Use the activity Shift Center of Gravity.

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Changelog

V1.041 – 7th of March 2020

This is the first public release of the template. Improved HTML format of the item and creature templates. Fixed printing margins required by latest versions of the Chrome browser. Fixed sizes and templates for action icons.

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